Last Updated on February 27, 2024
Image source: jcsportsnews.com
Who Is Kyrie Irving?
Kyrie Andrew Irving is a professional basketball player who holds both Australian and American citizenship. Irving currently plays professionally for the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Dallas Mavericks.
Kyrie Irving played basketball collegiately for Duke University’s team – the Duke Blue Devils. He turned pro in the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round as the first overall pick.
Irving played for the Cavaliers until 2017 when he requested to be traded to the Bolton Celtics.
He spent his next two NBA seasons with the Celtics before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 as a free agent.
After playing four seasons with the Nets, Irving requested to be traded yet again, this time to the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyrie Irving’s professional basketball achievements include winning gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup as well as the 2016 Summer Olympics. He won both accolades as part of the United States men’s national basketball team.
Outside of basketball, Kyrie Irving has written, directed, and starred in several advertisements as “Uncle Drew.” He has also lent his voice to several screen projects, including the television series ‘Family Guy’ in 2018.
Is Kyrie Irving Married?
Kyrie Irving isn’t married yet. However, he has been in a fairly long relationship with his sweetheart Marlene Wilkerson.
Wilkerson is a model and internet personality who first shot to the international limelight for his association with Irving. She’s also a savvy entrepreneur who runs most of her business ventures through her various social media accounts.
Marlene Wilkerson’s Early Life
Marlene Wilkerson was born on August 18, 1993, in Los Angeles, California. She’s 30 years old as at 2023, one year younger than her boyfriend who was born on March 23, 1992.
Wilkerson’s mother is Alaine Lee Lugo, a registered nurse who served as an administrator at Bethany Home Care. Her father’s identity is unknown. However, he’s likely from the African-American ethnicity, considering that Marlene is African-American whereas her mother is Caucasian.
Marlene was raised by her mother as a single parent, alongside an unnamed brother.
Marlene Wilkerson’s Education Background
Marlene Wilkerson was homeschooled by her mother and brother for most of her early childhood education.
Wilkerson later attended San Jacinto High School, where she was an instrumental member of the school’s soccer team. She initially played soccer as a right winger but later converted to left-back.
Upon graduating from high school, Wilkerson proceeded to California State University, where he studied business marketing.
Marlene Wilkerson’s Career Information
Wilkerson grew up admiring beauty and fashion models. She knew she was destined for a career in the beauty industry even though she opted to pursue a university program not directly related to her passion.
Marlene officially began her professional career in November 2011 when she joined Victoria’s Secret as a marketing associate. She worked with the brand for three years before joining Hillstone Restaurant as a server.
In 2015, Wilkerson left Hillstone to become a marketing intern at Crystal Clean LA. In June the same year, the budding marketing executive founded her own brand called The Find Guru.
Marlene Wilkerson leveraged the experience she received from her various professional assignments to launch a full-time modeling and blogging career. She created her YouTube channel on September 6, 2015, and began populating it with lifestyle-themed videos.
Her posts revolve around fashion, makeup, hairstyling, nutrition, and workouts. There’s also content about her success journey, with one video on her YouTube channel revealing how she launched her own brand at the age of 20.
The marketing executive turned internet model uses her social media platforms primarily to advocate for healthy lifestyle habits.
Thanks to her informative posts, Wilkerson has racked up thousands of followers across her various social networking accounts. She has over 772,000 YouTube subscribers and more than 405,000 Instagram followers as at November 2023. Both her YouTube and Instagram channels are named after her lifestyle brand.
Marlene Wilkerson has been featured in several eminent magazines for her outstanding works, including appearance on Essence’s list of the “50 Most Influential Women in 2019.” She also contributed hair care and beauty tips to Cosmopolitan and Glamour magazines, respectively.
As a fashion model, Wilkerson has also collaborated with several renowned brands. Notable mentions include the hair care company DevaCurl, the natural cosmetics brand Shea Moisture, and the shampoo maker Pantene. Others are Rihanna’s cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty and UK-based fast-fashion retailer PrettyLittleThin.
Kyrie Irving and Marlene Wilkerson’s Relationship Timeline
According to PopCulture, Kyrie Irving and Marlene Wilkerson began dating around 2018. The pair was first pictured together at Irving’s invitational when the NBA star played for the Boston Celtics.
But despite the rumors then, neither Kyrie nor Marlene confirmed they were dating. In fact, they did an excellent job at evading the paparazzi long enough.
It was not until 2019 when TMZ spotted the twosome taking a leisure stroll around New York City, with Marlene spotting a huge ring on her finger. And when photographers congratulated the pair for taking the next step in their relationship, none of them denied they were engaged.
Marlene and Kyrie’s relationship presumably became turbulent in 2020 when the pair stopped following each other on their Instagram accounts. Whatever the conflicts might have been, they were quickly resolved and the couple got back together.
Do Marlene Wilkerson And Kyrie Irving Have Children Together?
In June 2021, Wilkerson and Irving were blessed with their first child together. They’re yet to share the baby’s name.
Kyrie Irving also has a child from a previous relationship.
The NBA superstar dated former Miss Texas USA Andrea Wilson from 2013 to 2015. The couple welcomed their child together, daughter Azurie Elizabeth Irving, on November 23, 2015. Azurie lives with her father and stepmom.
Wilkerson was also in previous relationships prior to meeting Irving. The model dated soccer player Layvin Kurzawa and later basketballer Dexter Strickland. But unlike her boyfriend, Marlene’s previous relationships did not result in children.
Other Fun Facts About Marlene Wilkerson
Marlene Wilkerson measures 5 feet 7 inches and weighs 123 pounds. That’s in contrast to her boyfriend who stands at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs in at 220 pounds.